Surname McGeary - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'M'
McGeary: What does the surname McGeary mean?
The surname McGeary is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic name MacGadhra, which means "son of Gadhra." Gadhra itself translates to "hound" or "mastiff" in English. Therefore, the literal translation of the name McGeary is "son of the hound/mastiff." This may refer to a characteristic of a person or a role they played within their community, suggesting that the ancestors of those bearing this surname might have been associated with qualities like loyalty, strength, or fearlessness, like a hound or mastiff. Surnames involving the term "Mac" or "Mc" are common in Ireland and Scotland, indicating lineage or descent. It's worth noting that variations of this surname exist, such as McGarry and MacGarry, due to phonetic translations and regional differences in spelling.
Order DNA origin analysisMcGeary: Where does the name McGeary come from?
The surname McGeary is of Irish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac Gadhra, which means "son of Gadhra." The word "Gadhra" translates as "hound" or "dog" in English, a metaphor for a noble warrior in Gaelic symbolism. The McGeary surname was first found in County Sligo, on the west coast of Ireland. Over centuries, due to economic circumstances and political unrest, many people of Irish descent, including those with the surname McGeary, migrated to other parts of the world, particularly the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Therefore, this last name can be found in these countries today. However, it is still more commonly found in Ireland, especially in the regions of County Sligo and County Antrim in Northern Ireland. The surname McGeary is, overall, quite rare compared to many other surnames.
Variations of the surname McGeary
The surname McGeary is of Irish origin and is derived from the Gaelic "Mac Gadhra," which means "son of the hound of the sea."
Variations of this surname include McGarry, McGary, Magarry, MacGarry, and Magary. It can sometimes be anglicised as MacGara, Magara, MacGaura, McGara or Gara. These alternative spellings have emerged over time due to the phonetic translations.
McGeary, like many Irish surnames, may also have an 'O' prefix, resulting in O'McGeary or O'McGarry. Some families dropped the 'Mc' altogether, resulting in the standalone surname Geary or Garry, and in some cases, these may also be prefixed by 'O', as in O'Geary.
In Scotland, the surname may have been adapted to MacGarrow, McGarrow, or MacGhee. These variants also stem from phonetic translations and the geographical dispersion of families bearing the surname.
Due to the complexities of linguistic translation and the wide dispersal of Irish families over centuries, there may be many more variations of the McGeary surname. However, please note that not everyone bearing these surnames can be assumed to descend from the same original lineage.
Famous people with the name McGeary
- Ryan McGeary, Former professional baseball player
- Brian McGeary, Canadian Actor
- Matthew McGeary, Actor
- John McGeary, Vice President of Major League Baseball
- Sarah McGeary, Professional tennis player
- Trisha McGeary, Irish Republican activist
- Rob McGeary, Australian basketball player
- Steve McGeary, Retired professional Australian rules footballer
- Patrick McGeary, Politician in Northern Ireland
- Dan McGeary, American politician
- Mark McGeary, Australian rugby league footballer
- Sean McGeary, World War II British Officer
- Kieran McGeary, Irish hurler
- Matt McGeary, Singer and songwriter
- Maureen McGeary, Irish painter
- Declan McGeary, Musician